Cash and debit cards hold another advantage over credit cards; they lack the fees associated with credit cards. Credit card companies make their money by charging interest on balances each month, which can be significant, since Americans that use credit cards carry an average of $16,635 in debt, not including home mortgages [source: U.S. News and World Report]. Cash, if withdrawn from the bank where the account is held, is issued both fee- and interest-free. Debit cards can also come without fees. Most banks offer some kind of fee-free debit card account, but beware: Banks have come to make money from the debit cards' popularity with consumers by charging overdraft fees. These fees average almost $35, and pull an annual windfall of $17.5 billion for the banking industry [source: Lorek].